All articles tagged with #cars
A Jalopnik round-up of reader-submitted memories about cars people wish they'd bought when they were cheap, featuring classics like the Porsche 944, DeTomaso Pantera, air‑cooled 911, MR2 Turbo, Honda S2000, Dodge Challenger, Porsche 928 GTS, Mazda RX-7, Hemi Cuda, and Acura NSX, and opening with a reflection on soaring new-car prices and the lasting regret of missed opportunities.
Leaks and analysis suggest GTA 6 may treat cars as more than fast transport by adding fuel mechanics, wear-and-tear, maintenance, trunk space, and smarter AI that recognizes vehicles by make and color. This could create an emotional bond with cars similar to how Red Dead Redemption 2 made horses central to survival and identity, shifting driving from a nuisance to a meaningful, narrative-driven element without sacrificing fun.
Millions of vehicles are being recalled for fires that can start even when the car is off and parked, a trend dubbed “park outside” recalls. The problem is tied to increased electronics under the hood and higher operating temperatures, affecting models such as Jeep Gladiators and Wranglers, Kia Tellurides, and BMW 530e xDrive. In 2026 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued numerous campaigns, with recalls rising since 2024, as safety advocates say smarter cars bring more heat-prone electronics and encourage drivers to park away from buildings or other vehicles until repairs are available.
Ford’s 2025 Mustang GTD, at 81.7 inches wide, is wide enough to trigger truck-width rules but is classified as a passenger car, letting Ford avoid extra clearance lamps while delivering 815 hp, 0-60 around 2.8 seconds, a 202 mph top speed, and a Nürburgring lap of 6:52.072, with a price near $320k.
The Smokey and the Bandit fame helped cement the Pontiac Trans Am’s iconic status. GM reportedly offered Burt Reynolds a brand-new Trans Am every year for the rest of his life after a call from the then-president. Over five years he received new Trans Ams (many given to family; he kept one), but in the sixth year the deal stopped when a new GM president—who admitted he didn’t like Reynolds’ movies—took charge and canceled the arrangement.
A practical CarPlay troubleshooting guide that walks you through simple fixes: restart your iPhone and your car, make sure CarPlay opens on the car’s display, verify Siri is enabled and that iOS is up to date, and allow CarPlay while the phone is locked. For wired CarPlay, test a different USB port and a data-capable cable, inspect and clean USB ports, and avoid adapters; for wireless CarPlay, ensure Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi are on and Auto-join is enabled. Check Screen Time restrictions and your car’s own CarPlay settings, then re-pair the connection (forget this car, then pair again) and, if needed, update the car stereo firmware or perform a factory reset as a last resort. If problems persist, contact Apple or the car maker.
Toyota's North Carolina plant uses a six-second 'Rope Twist' exercise to test applicants' dexterity and hand-eye coordination, part of its dojo-style training for the fast-paced assembly line. Videos of the challenge, linked to a Kentucky experience center, have gone viral, and Toyota also demonstrates a 'Flip and Place' dexterity task inspired by the Minnesota Dexterity Test to further gauge candidates' skills.
A barn-find 1968 Plymouth Hemi GTX Convertible—one of just 24 Hemi convertibles from 1968—was found in upstate New York after more than 50 years, retaining matching-numbers 426/425 hp Hemi V8 and TorqueFlite, with about 34k miles. It has undergone mechanical recommissioning (brake lines, fuel system, distributor, exhaust, radiator, etc.), a new top and interior, and will cross Mecum’s block later this month. The car exemplifies Plymouth’s ‘gentleman’s muscle car’ ethos and is among the era’s rarest production muscle cars.
Ruf has moved beyond tuning Porsches, building its own B8 flat-eight and testing it in a lengthened CTR3 mule named "Erprober" at the Goodwood Festival of Speed; the engine reportedly makes over 1,000 hp and 1,000 Nm, with full specs still pending, signaling Ruf's shift toward in-house powertrains and carbon monocoque chassis in upcoming models.
A Bain & Company analysis (cited by CNBC) predicts the U.S. car market will shrink significantly through 2040 as population growth stalls, fertility declines, and transportation behavior shifts toward ride-hailing and SUVs. High new-car prices and rising monthly payments, along with aging buyers and a shrinking share of younger buyers, are expected to drive consolidation among automakers and a reduction in small cars; AutoForecast Solutions also forecasts flat sales for several years, highlighting profitability pressures in the sector.
After a months-long rebuild, Mat Armstrong takes his Continental GT to Bentley for a definitive service; technicians uncover more than 100 faults, with the standout issue being a cracked engine mount that could affect alignment and safety, prompting further costly repairs even as Armstrong continues with plans for a Monaco road trip.
Japan's May exports rose 17% year-on-year—the fastest since November 2022—driven by a 61.2% surge in semiconductor shipments and a 16.4% jump in car exports, with volumes barely higher, indicating price and weak-yen effects. Imports rose 12.5% YoY, while energy imports fell, and the data comes as the Bank of Japan raised rates to 1% amid inflation and a softer global outlook.
U.S. new-car sales are expected to top out around 16 million this year—down from 17 million in 2020 and not likely to return to that level until 2030—while the number of new-car buyers has fallen by more than a million since 2020. Automakers are chasing profits with pricier vehicles, no fewer sedans left in production, and inflation pushing prices toward or beyond $50,000, making a first new car increasingly out of reach for many. Meanwhile, consumer sentiment is at a record low and spending leans toward the wealthy, signaling a broader shift in the economy beyond just car buying.
iRacing’s May 2026 Season 3 preview outlines a broad slate of content and platform updates arriving in early June: free BMW M2 Racing and Euro NASCAR RC01, two new Formula Vee variants, and BMW M Hybrid V8 Evo upgrade; Dallara IR18 updates, a refreshed Porsche 992.2, and updated SK/Tour Modified physics, plus major track work including Laguna Seca’s surface rescan and the new Qualcomm Circuit at Naval Base Coronado. The Sim UI gains live track maps, a fuel calculator, drag-resizable UI, incident tracker, and per-session data options; pit-road speed enforcement is reworked with a PID controller; multi-class starts with per-class pace cars is in testing; Anycast routing promises lower latency; long-term bets include Career Mode, a Spark graphics engine, physics modernization with multi-threading, series-specific sporting regulations, and expanded audio tech; release is planned for early June with ongoing updates to follow.
Mercedes-Benz unveils the AMG GT 4‑Door EV, a high‑performance sedan built on an 800‑volt platform with three axial‑flux motors delivering up to 1,153 hp and 1,475 lb‑ft, a Formula 1–inspired cooling system, and 600 kW ultra‑fast charging (10–80% in 11 minutes); it features MB.OS with the AMG Race Engineer Core, over 1,600 engine‑like sounds for the silent motor, and a claimed 0–60 time of about 2 seconds, with GT 55 arriving late 2026 and GT 63 in 2027.